RUMOUR DENIED

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 55, 2 September 1915, Page 4

RUMOUR DENIED

I THE HONOUR OF OUR TROOPS. A MINISTER'S REQUEST. A few days ago Mr. J. T. M. Hornsby, member for Wairarapa, drew the attention of the Minister for Defence to a letter published in a Masterton paper referring to an alleged mutiny among Maoris travelling 'on a troopship between their base and Gallipoli. Yesterday afternoon the Hon. James Allen gave the member a definite reply. There waa no foundation for the rumour, said the Minister, and he read a telegram from Mr. R. Vile, Eketahuna, which stated that the question asked by -Mr. Hornsby was exaggerated; there was no suggestion of mutiny among the | Maoris in the newspaper paragraph. The Minister also read a private letter bear- | ing upon the matter, which stated that what had happened was that the crew were stealing the food and selling it to the troops, who consisted of many other British troops besides Maoris. The chief steward was to blame, and was imprisoned by Colonel Herbert, who was O.C. of the troopship. The Minister added that if hon. members, when they desired information or questions affecting the » honour of the troops, would be good enough to communicate with Kirn before making Turnouts public, he wonld be glad ,to give all the information he could. In this case the honour of the Maoris was affected. He hoped that members would pause before m any way casting reflection upon the troops. "I have been misrepresented," said Mr. Hornsby. The remarks of the Minister made it appear -that he had given publicity to the rumour for the sake of getting it in Hansard.- 'What he had done was to call the Minister's attention to a statement in the Wairarapa Times, headed in black type: "Almost a Mutiny." His desire was that the Minister should have an opportunity of putting the thing right, and that was why he asked the question. He hoped the Minister would do him the justice of putting him right. He had no desire to reflect upon the honour of the Maoris. God forbid that he should be guilty of the crime of reilecting upon the honour of troops ! The Minister said he was glad to hear that Mr. Hornsby intended no reflection upon the Maoris. He suggested that in future information on guch matters be first sought privately. .